From Beginning to Ed
by Clearly Odd
Summary: What they don't tell you is that beginnings come in fragments.  There's no telling how long it will take before the picture is complete.  Edd/Eddy, slash, oneshot.  Rated for language.


From Beginning to Ed

Author's Note: Yep, instead of working on my three-ish other projects, I'm writing something else! Because writers are better at procrastinating than just about anybody.

In my defense, this was originally my idea for the "Edd and Eddy (romance)" chapter of "React and Interact," but the more I thought about it, the more it developed, and I soon realized there was absolutely no way I could do this 500 words or less. So just enjoy the slashy fun, if you would, and I'll get back to other stuff soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ed, Edd, n' Eddy or anything else copyrighted, for that matter.

-/-/-

People often tell you that you should start at the beginning when explaining something. However, what they neglect to mention is that beginnings come in fragments. There's no telling exactly how many pieces there will be, or how long it will take before the beginning comes to an end. Sometimes, it's hard to tell when a beginning has come, or when it ends and the next phase continues. It's usually more obvious in retrospect, as everything is.

Looking back, the members of one unlikely couple would say, after some argument, that the _very_ beginning, the start of the beginning, as it were, came one mid-November afternoon in the halls of Peach Creek High School.

-/-/-

Eddy rounded the corner, bringing his and his friends' lockers into view, and finally caught sight of his sock-hatted query. "Double Dee!" He screeched over the crowd of milling students, to no avail.

Giving up on shouting, he dodged through the masses- it was here that his detested lack of size came in handy- and finally halted himself by banging into the locker next to his friend's. "Jesus, didn't you hear me yellin' at you?" He panted, looking up at Edd. "And where the Hell've you been all morning?"

"Sorry, Eddy, I couldn't hear you over the noise. And I was at the orthodontist. I'm getting my braces off next month, if you recall." Edd smiled over at him with a mouth full of wire, rubber, and gap-free teeth.

"Oh, right." Eddy muttered, then shook his head. "Well, I got some bad news for you…"

Edd's smile disappeared as he shut his books away in his locker. "This sounds rather ominous… let's go to lunch and we can discuss it at our table." He said, turning to head down the hall to lunch.

However, he found himself stopped short, halted by Eddy's hand on his shoulder. "Look, why don't we wait here 'till the crowd thins out? I dunno if you want Ed to hear about it." The shorter boy suggested.

Brows furrowed, Edd returned to his spot next to his long-time friend. "You're starting to worry me, Eddy. What's this about?"

Eddy watched as the last few students filtered out, heading to lunch or their next class, then turned back to Edd. "Listen, there's kind of a nasty rumor goin' around about you." He said quietly. It had taken a few years, but he had finally learned to use some amount of tact- mostly through Edd's doing.

"A rumor? Eddy, there've been many of those circulating over the years; I rarely let them bother me…" Edd sighed.

"No, Double Dee, this one's different," Eddy interrupted irritably, "Everyone's sayin' that you're dating that Steven guy. The one in our gym class."

Edd blinked in surprise, then looked away, blushing. "Eddy… that's not a rumor." He mumbled.

It was Eddy's turn for a look of surprise. "Huh? What're you…"

"I'm sorry, Eddy! I wanted to tell you and Ed, but it only started last week, and I just wasn't sure how!" Edd exclaimed, covering his face.

"Wait, wait, wait… Hold up!" Eddy shouted in return, waving his hands emphatically, "Okay, never mind the fact you started _dating_ someone and didn't tell me. But… you're gay?"

Peeking out between his fingers, Edd nodded. "It's something I came to terms with perhaps a year or so ago…" His voice came out muffled by his hands before he took them away. "I was never really sure how you or Ed would take it, but I figured I had some time before I had to tell you anyway… But then I started talking to Steven and, well… I'm sorry you found out this way."

"So, this is something you're, like… set on?" Eddy asked carefully, narrowing his eyes at his childhood friend.

Edd's gaze suddenly became quite cold. "It wasn't exactly a conscious _decision_ I made, you realize. Your sexual preference is decided early on in development. However, if you _insist_ on putting it that way, then _yes_. Yes, I'm set on being gay and I'm set on dating Steven." While he had been teaching Eddy some of the more finite social skills, Eddy had in turn been teaching Edd how to stand up for himself, and he was putting those lessons to use. "Perhaps I should just give you some time to think about it…"

Eddy realized after a moment that Edd was now walking away, and reached out to grasp his wrist. "Geez, wait a second, Sock Head!" He groused, yanking gently on his friend's arm. "I'm okay with it, alright? Seriously. It's just… I dunno. A surprise."

The hatted Ed smiled brightly. "Really, Eddy?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I mean, what do I care who you like? As long as you're not gonna get me involved in it, I mean." Eddy shrugged. "I don't wanna know all about your… stuff that happens. You got it?"

Edd chuckled and nodded. "Of course, Eddy. Discretion is my proverbial middle name."

"Obviously not. I mean, you got people talking about you and your _boyfriend_ in a week, flat." Eddy smirked, releasing Edd's arm and nudging him in the side as they began their trek to the cafeteria. "Speakin' of which, couldn't you have had better taste than _Steven Dickinson_? I mean, seriously- _Dickinson_?"

"Oh, come on, Eddy. I think you and Ed will both like him…" Edd replied, refusing to take the bait, "I've told him quite a bit about you two and he's very interested in a meeting…"

Eddy half-listened as Edd nattered on about his new boyfriend and realized with a jolt that the dark feeling he was suddenly harboring towards his good friend was jealousy. He recognized the feeling well, and was certainly feeling it towards Edd- but _why_, was a question Eddy didn't have answer for.

-/-/-

The second part of the beginning came roughly one week later, when Edd insisted that his two best friends- indeed, his only two friends- meet Steven. Eddy had agreed easily enough and Ed was excited to meet the person who was now taking up a chunk of Edd's free time, though he still didn't quite understand the nature of their relationship.

"Steven is much better at explaining it than I am, Ed. You'll get it when he tells you." Edd had told the taller boy, which wasn't a statement that sat right with Eddy. Edd never gave up on explaining something, not until his victim understood perfectly. He rarely relinquished the responsibility to another, for there was no one better than him.

Still, a promise was a promise, and the four boys met up outside the school to walk back to the cul-de-sac together ("Steven is coming over, anyway; we're going to study for the calculus test tomorrow.") Steven Dickinson was a bit taller than Edd, with light brown hair that just brushed his shoulders. He wore wire-rimmed glasses covering his dull grey eyes and had a slender, lanky frame, much like Edd's. He was a handsome boy, if you were into that sort of thing, Eddy decided. However, he also decided he didn't like the guy one bit as soon as he introduced himself. "Hello," He smiled and shook Eddy's hand, and eyed Ed suspiciously when the taller boy didn't offer, "I'm Steven Dickinson. Eddward's boyfriend."

Eddy scowled. "Duh. We know who you are. Hell, I have gym class with you."

Steven seemed surprised. "Of course," He finally nodded. "I'm sorry, could you remind me of your name again?"

Rolling his eyes, Eddy jabbed a thumb at himself and Ed in turn. "I'm Eddy. This here's Ed." He then looked to Edd. "Hey, Double Dee, I thought you told him about us?"

Edd opened his mouth to reply, but Steven was faster (Eddy briefly wondered how that was even possible). "He did, but I'm terrible with names."

"How hard can it be to remember? We all have the same name!" Eddy pointed out, glaring up at Steven. No, he didn't like this guy one bit.

The interloper looked about to argue, but Edd got a word in first. "Perhaps we should get going now?" He offered timidly. This didn't appear to be going as he had hoped.

Eddy shrugged and started to move towards home. Steven followed and Edd was close behind, wearing his patented expression of worry, with Ed bringing up the rear with his usual goofy grin. Things seemed to cool down at bit on the walk until Steven slipped his hand around Edd's. Ed's grin slipped into a rather perplexed look as he examined their joined hands. "Hey, Double Dee, why're you and Steven holding hands?" He asked with his usual innocently clueless tone.

"We told you, Ed. Steven and I are dating." Edd replied, looking back at his old friend.

This only seemed to confuse the tallest Ed further as he kicked his brain into high gear. "Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ed asked finally.

"Something like that, yes." Edd nodded.

Meanwhile, Eddy was watching Steven's face turn steadily crankier. "That's weird." Ed declared finally, dopey smile back in place. It was a friendly sort of declaration, simply Ed noticing something out of the norm, but it seeming to get on the new boy's nerves.

"Oh? And just _what_ is so strange about love, hm?" Steven snapped, releasing Edd's hand and whirling around to face Ed, "There is no difference between homosexual and heterosexual love, you know! And while we're on the subject…"

"Whoa, dude, chill!" Eddy pushed past Steven and walked up to Ed. "He doesn't mean anything by it, he's just being _Ed_. He ain't all there, if you haven't noticed."

Steven didn't look convinced and Edd, picking an absolutely _brilliant_ time to do so, said nothing. "Look, Ed, sometimes guys like guys or girls like girls. It happens." Eddy explained shortly, eyeing Steven with irritation. "It's no big deal."

"Right-o, Eddy!" Ed agreed readily, still smiling.

This seemed to do little to appease Steven, but Edd finally spoke up once more. "I-I believe this is where Steven and I part with you, gentlemen." His tone was desperately placating as he took up Steven's hand again. "My house is just across the street there."

With a start, Eddy realized he was right. He barely heard Edd's assurances that he'd see his fellows at school tomorrow, but his attention was rapt as he watched Steven walk off with his friend, holding hands. The jealously hit him with all the force of a brick to the face then and he realized what, exactly he was jealous of. Watching Edd and Steven holding hands openly as they crossed the cul-de-sac made him long, momentarily, for that sort of honesty. He was jealous of their relationship.

Not that he wanted to date Steven, obviously, since the guy was a flaming jack ass with major issues, and it's not like he was gay (so he assured himself), it was just that… actually, his thoughts ran out there. "Earth to Eddy… are you in there, Bucko?" Ed tapped Eddy on the nose, jolting him out of his reverie with a growl.

"Cut it out!" He snapped, pushing Ed's arm away. "…I hate that guy."

"I don't like 'im, either." Ed announced.

"Huh?" Eddy raised an eyebrow at his friend as they continued down the street. "Why not?"

"I don't think he's good to Double Dee. Double Dee's only that quiet when he's not happy." The taller boy said, an actual tone of seriousness clouding his voice.

Now that Ed mentioned it, Eddy realized how quiet Edd had been- unnaturally so, considering their verbose friend's usual state. However, the possibility that Edd wasn't happy in his relationship was simultaneously appealing and slightly sickening. "Don't be dumb, Ed." He said finally, "Double Dee wouldn't be with that guy if he wasn't happy."

Ed hummed thoughtfully, then turned to look at Eddy. "Double Dee talks the most when he's around you."

Eddy blinked, then shoved past Ed without allowing himself to consider that fact. "Shut up, Burr Head."

-/-/-

It was mid-December by the time the next piece fell into place.

As promised, Edd's braces came off and he came to school the following day braces-free and grinning brilliantly at anyone who looked his way. It wasn't until he turned the shining smile on his two friends that he spoke. "Well, how do I look?" He seemed to be unable to stop smiling.

Ed was the first to react, gasping and pulling Edd's mouth open wider, much to the shorter boy's mortification. "Double Dee! No more metal-mouth!" He exclaimed happily, releasing the boy finally.

Edd cleared his throat and massaged his abused jaw as a way of regaining his dignity before nodding. "Yes, Ed, no more braces! What do you think, Eddy?" He asked his other friend.

The shorter boy was only able to blink for a moment before replying. "You look great, Sock Head." It was quite possibly the most straight-forward compliment Eddy had ever paid- well, anyone, and it caused Edd's smile to take a different sort of turn. One Eddy wasn't familiar with (maybe _Steven_ got to see that smile, he thought bitterly).

However, the sock-hatted Ed _did_ look great, Eddy decided. He usually did, though. With pale yet clear skin, bright green eyes shining with intelligence, long, graceful-looking limbs (which didn't necessarily afford the owner grace), and dark hair just long enough to show soft and smooth beneath the ever-present cap, Edd's new smile was simply the icing on the cake… if you were into that sort of thing.

It was about that point that Eddy realized, with less surprise than he would have liked, that yes, he might actually be into that sort of thing.

And if he didn't believe it then, seeing Edd and Steven _celebrate_ his friend's braces-free teeth later that day cemented the feeling.

-/-/-

December 26th was generally a day the Eds spent together. It was also the date of another large piece of the beginning. They always spent the day after Christmas bragging over their gift haul, sharing left-overs, and blatantly avoiding telling Ed that Santa wasn't real. Not even Steven could spoil the day, as his family was on a skiing trip (hearing this had been no small pleasure for Eddy). Unfortunately, Ed's family was also on vacation, much to the boy's dismay ("But what if Santa can't find us?"). This left just Edd and Eddy to enjoy the day of peace and post-Christmas trauma. "Really, Eddy, it's not a big deal." Edd told his friend as they lounged around his room.

"Like Hell, it isn't. They hardly see you and they were _working_. On Christmas!" Eddy half-shouted, his full level of rage decimated slightly by a Christmas dinner hang-over.

"They just had to take a few phone calls. They were still home." Edd shrugged, adeptly hiding his disappointment, and then continuing with a sly smile. "Besides, Eddy, you don't even believe in the sanctity of Christmas as family-oriented holiday."

"Yeah, well, I see my parents all the time." Eddy grumbled.

Edd sighed and silence reigned over Eddy's room for a few minutes. Loath though he was to continue the air of seriousness, Eddy found another question slipping out. "Have you even told them yet? About Steven and… the whole 'gay' thing, I mean."

"I… No. I haven't. As you said, I hardly see them and… I don't want to taint what little time we have together. I don't think they would take it well. Steven wants me to tell them as soon as possible, though." Edd looked down at the carpet and mumbled, "I think he's angry with me for having kept it from them."

Eddy didn't like the dejected look on his friend's face one bit, but he held his tongue. Bad-mouthing Steven would likely just drive Edd away and that was something Eddy found he simply didn't want to think about. Instead, he let out a more carefully worded question, though it wasn't precisely what he wanted to know. "So… how's that going? You and Steven."

The taller boy made a customary effort to brighten up as he spoke, but Eddy saw right through it. "Oh, it's going quite well! I mean, of course, he seems rather angry with me for hiding things from my parents. And he does get angry when I try to explain to him why it's hard for me to tell them… He seems rather easy to set off on those subjects, but really… it's fine. I just need to try a little harder in my efforts regarding our relationship."

"Try _harder_? Double Dee, that's all you do besides homework. Me an' Ed hardly even see you anymore outside of school! How could you try _harder_?" Eddy's outrage burst forth before he could stop it.

"I-I'm just not accustomed to being in a relationship. But Steven is very patient and…"

"He shouldn't have to be _patient_… he should like you the way you are." Eddy muttered, surprising even himself with the wisdom of the statement.

"Yes, well… Eddy, I don't quite remember what it was you got for Christmas… Remind me, please?" Edd stuttered, looking away from his friend.

"Gee, I almost missed the colossal change in subject, there." Eddy replied, but pulled up his stack of gifts once more, anyway.

-/-/-

It was March before anything moved forward again.

Unlike the summer rains of the cul-de-sac, spring rains were easily predicted: they happened. Constantly. Thus, it was late on a rainy March evening when Eddy saw a familiar silhouette knocking at his window.

He jumped up quickly and slid the door open, admitting a thoroughly soaked and shivering Edd. "Geez, Double Dee, what the Hell're you doing out there?" Eddy asked, shutting the door behind his friend.

Edd was worryingly quiet however, simply hugging his arms around his too-skinny frame and looking down at the carpet as he silently dripped rainwater everywhere. Solving the most obvious problem first, Eddy went to his bathroom, gathered the cleanest towel he could find, and brought it back to Edd. The boy accepted it without a question or a glance, wrapping it around his shoulders and hunching over further. "Th-th-thank you." He stuttered though his chattering teeth.

"How long were you out there?" Eddy asked, half dragging his friend over to the stool in front of his dresser.

"Th-the approximate t-t-time it t-takes to walk f-from my house, to St-Steven's house and th-then back to yours." Between the stuttering, teeth-chattering, and quiet tone, Eddy could barely understand a word Edd said, though he got the gist of it nonetheless.

"What happened?" He prodded further.

However, when Edd finally looked up at his old friend, Eddy could see the wetness in his eyes that had nothing to do with the rain and promptly panicked. "Whoa! Hey, okay- uh, look, don't cry, okay?" He jumped up from his seat on the bed and rushed to his friend's side.

Edd simply nodded and looked down. "Sorry." He mumbled.

"N-no, I mean, just… hey, I think I have some pajamas that might fit you." Eddy tried in desperation, running to his dresser and digging into it. "They're too big for me. Fresh out of the drawer and nice and clean… ish."

Looking up at the proffered pajamas, Edd gave his friend a watery smile. "I'm sorry… I h-hate to be a b-bother."

"Nah, just put on something dry before you vibrate out of existence." Eddy replied, glad to see at least a shadow of the Double Dee he knew and loved (well, that may have been putting it strongly…).

Edd nodded again and accepted the pajamas. "Th-thank you."

Eddy waited, sitting on his bed, trying not to imagine his best friend changing clothes on the other side of the bathroom door. He was in a state of distress, after all; this was no time for _that_. Finally, Edd emerged dressed in Eddy's over-sized pajamas (which were too tight for him in all the wrong places, but they still beat out his soaked attire) which, on any other day, would have been hilarious. Today, however, Eddy gestured for his friend to come over and sit beside him. "Now you're going to tell me what the Hell's going on." He commanded, though not altogether unkindly.

Clearing his throat, Edd began, with the occasional tremor in his voice that had nothing to do with the cold. "S-Steven has been very insistent lately. He really wanted me to tell my parents… He hated that I was keeping our relationship and my orientation from them. So…" The boy trailed off.

"You guys told them?" Eddy asked.

"No," Edd shook his head. "_I_ told them… Steven wasn't there. He said it was something I had to do on my own…" A few choice names for Edd's boyfriend crossed Eddy's mind, but he kept them to himself for the sake of time. "And I did. I told them. And they… After it became apparent that I was quiet serious… they kicked me out."

"Jesus…" Eddy muttered, but Edd was on a roll now, unable to stop his tale of woe.

"And… And I sort of just wanted to come over here after that happened, actually. But, I thought I needed to tell Steven and I don't have a car, so I walked all the way over to his house only to find out that… he said he can't be with someone who comes with a family of homophobes…" The tears came anew and Eddy didn't say or do anything to stop them- he wasn't sure if there was anything that could be said. "He… he broke up with me. Wouldn't let me inside… And then I came here."

The dam broke at last and Edd burst into wet sobs. He moved sideways and clung to Eddy as came naturally and Eddy, for once, let him. He held his friend through the hysterics and bottled up the outrage he felt on his behalf. Whatever Edd wanted would be damned; Eddy decided at the next possible juncture he was going to gather up anyone else in the cul-de-sac who cared even a bit about Edd and they were going to have a few words with Steven… and then maybe Edd's parents.

Such thoughts were put on hold, however, as Edd began to come out of his sobbing stupor. "I don't know what I'm going to do!" He cried, attempting to wipe his face clean. "I- I don't have anywhere to stay and… Oh, I left my school supplies at my _house_!"

Eddy couldn't help but snort at his friend's skewed priorities. "Double Dee, you can stay with me." He told his friend, holding him out at arm's length. "And your parents are never home. Just run over tomorrow and grab whatever crap you need."

"R-really? Your parents wouldn't mind?" Edd sniffled hopefully.

"Nah," Eddy shrugged. "They like you. Seem to think you're a good influence or somethin'."

Eddy was surprised to hear a small chuckle escape his friend's throat. "Little do they know, it's usually the other way around." Edd replied.

"Heh… pretty much."

There wasn't much talking after that. Eddy sought out and explained the situation to his parents, who were readily willing to allow Edd to stay until he could reach an understanding with his parents, and the two boys spent the remainder of the night in Eddy's room.

Too tired to locate and set up the air mattress, Eddy invited Edd to just have one half of his bed (against his better judgment). Edd managed to invade Eddy's side within an hour of falling asleep- he'd always been a sleep-cuddler, though he refused to believe Ed or Eddy when they told him- but the shorter boy found he didn't really mind this time. In fact, laying there with his best friend pressed against his side, he felt the best he had in a long time.

-/-/-

The final piece, the end of the beginning, so to speak, took a few more months to fall into place. However, even as this beginning came to an end, the start of something new was only just coming about.

It had taken until mid-June to convince Edd's parents to let him back into the house- though it may have happened sooner if they were home more often to talk to. They might have held out longer, but their decision to kick their son out had made enemies of the entire cul-de-sac- Eddy had made sure of that. However, that didn't mean he wanted Edd to go.

"I can't continue imposing on you forever, Eddy." Edd said as he wandered slowly around the shorter boy's room, gathering his belongings. "I don't have a very good job and I'm not old enough to lease an apartment of any sort…"

"So, stay until you are. I seriously don't get why you're going back to those dicks." Eddy grumbled.

Edd sighed, not even bothering to reprimand Eddy's language. "They're my parents…" He mumbled. "They did say they would try to be a little more tolerant."

"Oh, well that makes _everything_ better." Eddy rolled his eyes.

"No, it doesn't." Edd shook his head. "But as much as I love it here, and as kind as you and your parents have been to me, and as eternally grateful as I will be, I can't continue to ask you to go to this trouble."

"Geez, how many times do I have to _tell_ you? You want me to spell it out for you?" Eddy asked irritably, "We _like_ having you here… _I_ like having you here…"

Pausing in his packing, Edd looked up and was nothing less than shocked to see his almost unflappable friend _blushing_. "…I like being here." He replied finally. "I love being here, really…"

Eddy chanced a step closer. "So, don't go." He said simply.

"Eddy, you act as though I'm moving far away… I'll be down the street. Just like I always have been." Edd pointed out.

"Yeah, well… I guess I'm just used to you being here now." Eddy shrugged.

Edd looked up and locked eyes with his close friend. "…I've very much enjoyed staying here." He said quietly, "And I do wish I wasn't obligated to return home."

The two stood for a moment, waiting to see if the other would move, but when nothing happened they turned away.

Though the natural assumption would be that by the end of their living in the same house, they would be at each other's throats- familiarity breeds contempt, as Edd had once explained to his friends- they seemed to have grown improbably closer in the months Edd had bunked with Eddy. They doubled the amount of inside jokes they shared, they turned to one another as though it was only natural the other would be by their side, they even developed a way of arguing which didn't involve any vocal communication.

Of course, if there hadn't been enough rumors flying around about the odd group dubbed "the Eds," there certainly were by the end of the school year. As per usual, though, Edd didn't allow them to bother him and Eddy followed by example (usually). And, as the short leader of the group had put it, "We're seniors next year! We'll be on top of the world, baby!"

All of this had only served to increase Eddy's feelings towards his longtime friend and he often wondered if Edd felt the same. It sometimes seemed as though he did, but reading people's emotions had never really been Eddy's forte. And, of course, the situation wasn't helped by the fact Edd was now leaving, even if he'd only be a few houses down.

"Eddy, have you seen my pocket dictionary?" Edd asked suddenly, drawing his friend out of his reverie. "I seem to have misplaced it."

"Yeah, I think it was… on the dresser." Eddy moved toward said piece of furniture and picked up the small book, then walked back to Edd. "Why'd you even bring this thing, anyway?"

"My vocabulary certainly isn't going to improve itself." Edd replied primly, reaching out for the book.

"Right…" Eddy rolled his eyes and pushed the item into his friend's hand.

He relished in the feel of their brushing fingers for a brief second before he realized Edd was making no move to take the dictionary from his hand. Instead, he was standing there, staring at the small book he and his friend were both clutching, and blushing.

And that was it. Right or wrong about his assumptions on Edd's feelings, Eddy decided to find out. In one quick motion, he closed the distance between himself and his friend, grasped the front of his shirt, and pulled him down until their lips met.

The reaction was nearly instantaneous; Edd was kissing him right back, moving his hands over Eddy's shoulders and then to the back of his neck as Eddy tugged harder on the front of the other boy's shirt, pulling him ever closer. Eddy couldn't help but think that Steven was a lucky bastard because _God_ this was good, but it was quite suddenly over. Edd drew back and stared down at his friend, flushed and confused. "Eddy…" He began, uncertainty coloring his tone.

"For once in your life, Sock Head, just don't say anything." The shorter boy commanded, finally letting go of the dictionary to put his hand at the back of Edd's head and pull him forward into another kiss.

The book fell with a quiet thump to the floor, but neither party noticed. Eddy was busy trying to pull Edd as close as he could and Edd, in turn, was busy deepening the kiss they shared. When they parted for air again, it was Eddy who spoke. "So… do you still have to go?"

Edd looked at his friend, face lit by the warm June sunshine filtering through the window, and smiled. "I could certainly afford to stay a while longer." He said. "After all… I would be remiss to skip out on the beginning of something so wonderful."

-/-/-

Author's Note: I am so tired… I attempted to stay up much longer than I should have, writing this the night before my college classes started. Then, I got up at 5:30 in the morning to go to class… and I think I'm coming down with a cold. Fun times. However, I'm rather pleased with this piece. I hope you guys like it as well! Reviews would be loved if you feel like sending one!


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